Key holder



March 15, 1938. L. PORTNER 2,111,493

KEY HOLDER Filed Jan. 6, 1937 Inventor Laaaly forfzzer A iiorneysPatented Mar. 15, 1938 Nrrao STATES KEY HOLDER Louis Portner, Bufialo,N. Y.

Application January 6,

2 Claims.

This invention is a device for holding keys,

such as automobile keys, door keys, and the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a key holder in theform of a flexible member to- 5 gether with means for securing the endsof the member together in such a manner as to provide two closed loopsadjustable to any size desired whereby keys for one purpose, forexample, may be engaged with one loop, and keys for another purpose, orfor miscellaneous purposes may be engaged with the other loop of theholder.

The invention together with its objects and advantages may be bestunderstood from a study of the following description taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing wherein:-

Figure l is a top plan view of the holder.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2--2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the holder and Figure4 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating certain detailshereinafter more fully referred to.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals it will be seen that thekey holder, in the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises aflexible member 5 in the form of a ball-chain and a member 6 associatedwith the chain in a manner hereinafter made manifest to provide with thechain two loops. 1

The member 6 in the present instance consists of an elongated platefolded on a transverse line upon itself and suitably formed at oppositesides of the fold line to provide at said fold line an elongated sleevell through which the chain is trained as clearly shown.

At its respective opposite ends, the plate of the member 6 is alsocomplementarily formed to provide a sleeve la formed intermediate itsend with an enlarged lateral opening 8 and at its respective oppositeend with pockets 9 to receive the balls on the respective opposite endsof the chain 5.

At opposite ends of the opening 8 the meeting edges of said end of thefolds IU of the member 6 form slits H, the sleeve la being thusexpansible to facilitate the engaging or disengaging of the end of thechain with the member 6.

The folds or super-imposed portions I of the plate 6 are securedtogether through the medium of an'eyelet or other suitable rivet l2.

It will thus be seen that with the chain trained through the sleeve 1 ofthe member 6 1937, Serial No. 119,345

and the respective opposite ends of the chain engaged in the recesses 9provided therefor in the respective opposite ends of the split sleevela, the holder thus presenting two closed loops whereby keys may beretained thereon in groups. 5

In using the device an end of the chain may be disengaged from themember 6 by forcing the string portion of the chain at said end alongthe slit II for working the ball on said end of the chain out of therecess 9 to be subsequently drawn from the sleeve la through the opening8. Said end of the chain may then be trained through the opening usuallyprovided in the head or handle end of the key and the end of the chainthen re-engaged with the member 6 by passing the ball on said end of thechain into the sleeve la through the opening 8, and by forcing thestring portion of the chain along the slit H towards the end of thesleeve to work said end ball of the chain into its recess 9.

Also the intermediate portion of the chain may be drawn through thesleeve l to increase the loop at either end of the chain, resulting ofcourse in the forming of a smaller loop at the opposite end of thedevice.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:-

1. In a key holder of the character described, an elongated flexibleball chain, a plate member folded transversely upon itself and havingthe folds, at the line of fold, complementarily formed to provide asleeve through which the chain is trained, said folds at their free endsbeing also complementaril'y formed to provide a split sleeve havingenlarged lateral openings intermediate its ends and at one side of saidsplit sleeve to facilitate the engaging of the respective opposite endsof said chain therewith whereby said plate member cooperates with thechain to form two key retaining loops.

2. In a key holder, a plate member folded transversely upon itself andhaving the folds, at the line of fold, complementarily formed to providea sleeve, said folds at the free ends thereof being also complementarilyformed to provide a second sleeve pocketed at its ends, and a flexiblemember trained through the first mentioned sleeve and having endsadapted to engage the pockets of the second mentioned sleeve, to dividethe flexible element into a plurality of key carrying loops.

LOUIS PQRTNER.

